Sab acha hi hoga” (everything will be fine) is what Sharda Chouragade from Nagpur tells herself every time she faces a difficult situation.
Whether it was walking out of an abusive marriage, coping with her mother’s death, going hungry for days at an end, or starting a dosa stall, this feisty woman always tried her best to stay optimistic.
Fondly known as ‘Dosa Ajji’ (grandmother), Sharda started her dosa (and idli) stall in 2004 to sustain her family.However, to everyone’s surprise, she decided to sell the food for a really low price (Rs 2) when she started out.When I ask her about that, she smiles.
“There have been days when my son and I couldn’t even afford a single meal and I know what starvation does to your mind and body.
I didn’t have any support for the longest time, but once I was in a fairly better position I wanted to try and help others in the hope that it could make a difference.Besides, I started the stall to serve fresh and hot dosas to school children and laborers, and had to ensure that it was affordable for them,” says Sharda tells The Better India.
